NEW YORK — Columbia men’s basketball faces a key Ivy League matchup against Cornell on Saturday afternoon at Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m., marking the start of the second half of the conference slate.
The Lions (14-7, 3-4 Ivy League) will host the Big Red (10-10, 3-4 Ivy League) in a game presented by Chargel. Fans can follow the action via live stats or watch live on ESPN+, with Lance Medow and Barry Rohrssen providing commentary.
Columbia boasts the sixth-best rebounding margin in the nation, ranking 16th in rebounds per game and 19th in defensive rebounds per game. Through seven Ivy League contests, the Lions lead the conference in offensive rebounds, securing 88.
Last weekend saw a split for Columbia, with a 72-67 victory over Penn on Friday followed by an 80-68 loss to Princeton on Saturday. Following the weekend, Connor Igoe was recognized as the Ivy League Rookie of the Week, averaging 10 points and eight rebounds over the two games. Igoe recorded his second career double-double against Penn with 15 points and 10 rebounds, adding five assists.
The Lions have maintained a perfect record at home in non-conference play for the second consecutive season and entered Ivy League play with double-digit wins for the second year running. Head coach Kevin Hovde has achieved a notable start to his tenure, becoming the first Columbia coach in his debut season to win 14 of his first 21 games since Lou Rossini’s impressive 20-0 start in 1950-51.
In their most recent outing, Columbia fell to Princeton 80-68 despite a 20-point performance from Kenny Noland. The Lions struggled with shooting in the second half, connecting on only 13 of 36 field goal attempts, while Princeton maintained a hot shooting night, finishing at 28-of-49 from the field.
Noland has been a consistent offensive force for Columbia, leading the team with an average of 16.7 points per game. He also leads the Lions in assists, field goals made, three-point field goals made, free throws made, and minutes played. Noland’s 351 points this season place him third among Ivy League scorers, and his 51 three-pointers are fourth-most in the league.
On January 24th at Dartmouth, Noland achieved a career-high 28 points and 11 rebounds for his first career double-double, going a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line. He reached his 1,000th career point on January 5th at Cornell, becoming the 31st Lion in program history to reach that milestone.
Senior forward Blair Thompson recently reached his 500th career rebound in the January 24th win at Dartmouth, a feat not accomplished by a Lion since Mark Cisco in 2012-13. Thompson also joins Gary Raimondo as one of only two Lions to achieve 500 rebounds and 100 steals in their careers.
The January 5th victory over Cornell, a 104-99 thriller, marked the highest-scoring game in the history of the Columbia-Cornell rivalry, with a combined 242 points. It was only the second time Columbia scored 100 or more points against Cornell, and the first time doing so in a road Ivy League game since 1972.
Columbia has demonstrated offensive firepower this season, scoring 100 or more points in three games, a feat they haven’t achieved since the 1976-77 season. They recorded back-to-back 100-point games against PSU Abington and Cornell, something they hadn’t done since January 1969.
The Lions have also excelled on the boards, leading the Ivy League in combined rebounds, defensive rebounds, and offensive rebounds. They have out-rebounded their opponents in all 14 of their wins this season, and have out-rebounded opponents by more than 20 boards on five occasions.
First-year guard Miles Franklin has made an immediate impact for Columbia, shining in his collegiate debut with 13 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting performance. He has since scored in double figures in 10 of his 19 games and has been named Ivy League Rookie of the Week four times this season.
Columbia holds a 132-110 all-time record against Cornell and is seeking a season sweep of the Big Red for the first time since 2016.
Following Saturday’s game, Columbia will embark on a road trip, facing Penn on Friday and Princeton on Saturday.
